Forum for the San Francisco Peninsula Ashtanga Yoga Community

practice and non attachment

The Yoga Sutras Study Group continued its journey through the Samadhi Pada this past moonday morning.

In 1.12, we learn that the state of yoga is reached through the two wings of yoga, practice and non- attachment. abhyaasa vairaagyaabhyaam tan nirodhahWhat is practice? Abhyaasa (practice) according to Patanjali is the correct effort to establish on in the state of Yoga (1.13). Practice itself becomes firmly grounded in the aspirant when continued for a long time without interruption and with a devotional attitude (1.14).

What is practice? Abhyaasa (practice) according to Patanjali is the correct effort to establish on in the state of Yoga (1.13). Practice itself becomes firmly grounded in the aspirant when continued for a long time without interruption and with a devotional attitude (1.14).

Patanjali continues by describing self-mastery as a state reached when one no longer craves objects that are seen or unseen (1.15). This highest state of vairaagya (non attachment) evolves in gaining awareness of purusha where there is no longer the least desire for the gunas (1.16).

Stay tuned-in for the next moonday morning (April 17) where we will enter into the study of Samadhi or the integration of yoga. Sutras 1.17-29